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Monday, May 23, 2011

As recently as last month, Gen. James “Hoss” Cartwright was known in Washington as “Obama’s favorite general,” a leading candidate to become the country’s top military officer, and one of the biggest tech fiends ever to pin four stars to his shoulders. Now, Cartwright has been definitively ruled out as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon sources tell Danger Room — the apparent victim of a nasty Beltway whisper campaign.

I don't care too much for tracking who or who may not be the next CJCS - frankly I am just not that interested in palace politics.

My concern with Cartwight has nothing to do with the rumors. I was aggressively neutral towards Gen. Cartwight until FEB10 when, to be frank, he came off to me as having a very unhealthy view of the role of the military in our representative republic.

There is more than that to have concern with. First, there is the strange fact that after a nation has been at war for a decade you have a someone near the top of the chain in a land-combat branch with no combat experience at the Tactical Level - or Operational Level for that matter. You can't have that much "bad luck" from the detailer, can you?

No harm, no foul I guess - but at this point someone from the Army or Marine Corps who lacks combat experience should be in a supporting position to someone who has. We, thankfully, don't have a General Staff system - and so that much DC time just to me at least is off-putting.

That is minor anyway - there are plenty of additional substantive reasons to want Cartwright's as CJCS,

He lobbied to give the Vice Chairman’s office unparalleled power over decisions about which weapons the Pentagon should buy. He worked with Vice President Biden to come up with alternatives to the surge in Afghanistan, even when the buildup was accepted Pentagon wisdom.

He pushed to kill the F-22 Raptor and scrap new testing for the country’s nukes. In Air Force circles, he’s blamed for paring back plans for a new, strategic bomber fleet.

Ungh. Talk about smelling like the Potomac. I think I disagree with him pretty much on "all of the above."

As for who will take Admiral Mullen's place - there is something funny going on this time around in the selection. I am not going to share details - but there are more rumors out there about other potential candidates than just Cartwright that are finding their way to my inbox.

If someone has done something - either bring him up on UCMJ charges or keep him in the mix and shut up. No one should be hung out to dry on rumor. If rumor is known as fact - and if an E5 did it he would be going to Mast - then refer the General to the JAG and let's move on. Have we really reached the point where people could have done all these things through 4-stars and then "poof" it becomes an issue? If so - shame on us - but don't blame the person, blame the institution.

Who knows - I could be totally wrong about Cartwright - and if I am and he is pulled off because of rumor - then what a complete blight on DC and everyone involved. Petty people not worthy of the positions they hold, gossiping like a bunch of bitter old women. There are plenty of substantive reasons to oppose Cartwright - the fact that he had a bunch of unnaturally attractive female Aides should not be one of them. Also - if having marital problems with your wife is an issue - then you can get rid of half your GOFOs.

There is some nasty Ottoman Court stuff going on in DC right now that I am just not interested in playing. I'll comment after the fact. Anyway, if it isn't Mattis (and it won't be) I'll be a bit depressed regardless of who it is.